Echo Of Infinity: 100× exp

The Echo of Infinity: Chapter 6 - An Unexpected Offer

Kael’s second note had a much greater impact than the first. When Elara found it, she immediately convened with Elder Rowan and Borin again, this time with a map spread out on the table in the Drunken Dryad. Kael, delivering firewood, lingered nearby, straining his ears.

"Two miles northeast of the totem... that puts it deep in the tangled thickets," Borin traced a finger across the map. "Dangerous terrain. Good place for an ambush if they know we're coming."

"Thirty plus Hobgoblins and a Tier 1 Shaman," Elara mused, tapping the bark note. "That's beyond a simple raiding party. They're establishing a foothold. The captured Sprite confirms the Shaman is actively working magic." Her eyes narrowed. "Whoever got this close possesses considerable skill in stealth or an unbelievable amount of luck. Twice now, detailed, accurate information has appeared."

She looked around the common room, her gaze sweeping past Kael without pausing, yet he felt a prickle of unease. Was she starting to connect the dots? Or was he just paranoid?

The Guild couldn't ignore this. A force that size, led by a Shaman, could easily overwhelm Oakhaven's meager defenses if they attacked directly. Elara spent the day formulating a plan. Sending messages via Finn to the nearest Guild Hall in Riverbend for reinforcements would take too long. She had to act with what she had.

The plan involved a swift, targeted strike: infiltrate the ravine, neutralize the Shaman to break the Goblins' morale and magical enhancements, free the Sprite if possible, and retreat before the bulk of the Hobgoblins could effectively retaliate. It was risky, relying heavily on speed and surprise. She needed a small, fast team. Borin was too slow. The village youths were too inexperienced. That left her, Finn (surprisingly competent with a short bow, Kael noted his [Guild Scribe] class likely had some combat utility skills), and... she needed someone else. Someone agile, quiet, who knew the woods.

Later that day, Elara approached Kael directly as he was stacking the last of the firewood. His heart leaped into his throat.

"Kael," she said, her voice even, her sharp eyes studying him. "I need a word."

He wiped his sweaty palms on his trousers. "Yes, Guildswoman?" He focused on projecting his fabricated status, praying the Accumulator kept it stable.

```
[ Kael - Human ]
Title: None
Equipped Classes:
1. [Villager Lv. 4 (Tier 0)]
2. [Gatherer Lv. 2 (Tier 0)]
3. [Basic Combatant Lv. 2 (Tier 0)]
...
```

"You spend a lot of time in the woods, gathering for Hemlock," she stated, not quite a question. "You know the paths, the terrain. Better than most here."

"I... I try to be careful," Kael stammered, playing the part.

"Twice now," she continued, lowering her voice slightly, "useful information about the Goblin threat has appeared anonymously. Information that suggests someone got very close to danger without being detected. Someone familiar with the eastern woods."

Kael felt cold sweat prickle his back. "I... I don't know anything about that, Guildswoman. Honest. Maybe it was a trapper?"

Elara didn't call him a liar. She simply held his gaze. "Perhaps. Regardless, I am leading a small, fast strike team tonight. Objective: neutralize the Goblin Shaman in the ravine. It's dangerous, high-risk. I need someone who can keep up, move quietly, and potentially guide us through the thickets using the fastest routes. Someone like... a proficient [Gatherer]."

She paused, letting the implication hang in the air. "Your official status shows [Gatherer Lv. 2], barely enough to find mushrooms near the village edge. Yet, you took the message to Watchpost Alpha quickly, and Hemlock trusts you with deeper Boreal tasks like finding Shadowmoss near Grayfang Knoll. There's a discrepancy."

Kael's mind raced. Denial? Confession? He opted for a partial truth, woven into his carefully constructed narrative. "I... I haven't updated my public status in a while, Guildswoman," he mumbled, looking down. "Been focusing on... surviving. Gained a few levels in [Gatherer] and [Basic Combatant] during that wolf encounter... the one where I helped the elf?" He intentionally brought up the flimsy story he'd prepared. "It's probably Level 5 or 6 now? I don't check often. Embarrassing, you know?"

It was a weak deflection, but it offered *an* explanation for competence beyond Level 2.

Elara considered this, tapping a finger against her leather-clad arm. "Level 5 or 6 is still Tier 0. Barely adequate. But you know the terrain." She made a decision. "I'm offering you a position on the strike team. Non-combat role. You guide, you observe, you stay out of the fight unless absolutely necessary. Standard Guild hazard pay, plus a bonus if we succeed."

Kael stared at her. This was it. The opportunity, wrapped in layers of danger and suspicion. Joining the strike team meant being under Elara's direct observation. Any slip-up, any use of his real Tier 1 skills, could expose him instantly. But refusing might increase suspicion. And staying behind while the village faced this threat... he couldn't do that. This was also his chance to *use* his power for something crucial, even if hidden.

"You... you want *me*?" he asked, feigning disbelief.

"I need your knowledge of the paths, Kael," Elara said patiently. "And perhaps... a little bit of that 'luck' that seems to follow you in the woods. Will you help?"

He took a deep breath. This was the first step away from Oakhaven, even if it was just into the dangerous woods nearby. It was a step into the world where Tiers and levels mattered, where his secret would be tested like never before.

"Yes," Kael said, meeting her gaze. "I'll help."

*‘Accumulator,’* he thought, already planning, *‘Prepare to work overtime managing this facade.’*

---

Publishment date: 3/4/2025